Relaxin mimetic in pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease: Design and rationale of Re-PHIRE.

Aims: Despite receiving guideline-directed medical heart failure (HF) therapy, patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease (PH-LHD) experience higher mortality and hospitalization rates than the general HF population. AZD3427 is a functionally selective, long-acting mimetic of relaxin, a hormone that has the potential to induce vasodilation and prevent fibrosis. In a phase 1b study conducted in patients with HF, AZD3427 demonstrated a favourable safety and pharmacokinetic profile.

Long-Term Follow-Up After the Charles Procedure: Possibilities for Minimally Invasive Reconstructive Lymphedema Surgery With Lymphaticovenous Anastomosis: A Report of Four Cases.

The Charles procedure (CP) is a potentially devastating treatment; however, in cases of an end stage of untreated or improperly treated lymphedema, it is the ultimate surgical therapy. As a life-saving solution, it quickly relieves patients with giant, hypertrophic extremities, mostly in ambulation and hygiene maintenance. Nevertheless, long-term results may disappoint both doctors and patients, who struggle with social stigma, the need for lifelong compression, massive lymphoedema in the distal parts of the feet, badly fitting shoes, excessive skin fibrosis, severe keratinization of skin-grafted surfaces, periodic lymphorrhea from the resected areas, or acute and chronic inflammation.

Self-assembly of chromatic patchy particles with tetrahedrally arranged patches.

The achievement of selectivity in the formation of cubic diamond is challenging due to the emergence of competing phases such as its hexagonal polymorph or clathrates possessing similar free energy. Although both polymorphs exhibit a complete photonic bandgap, cubic diamond exhibits it at lower frequencies than the hexagonal counterpart, positioning it as a promising candidate for photonic applications. Herein, we demonstrate that the 1 : 1 mixture of identical patchy particles cannot selectively form the cubic diamond polymorph due to the frustrations present in the system that are manifested in the primary adsorption layer and propagate as the film grows.

The prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in hospitalized tobacco smokers with peripheral artery disease.

Peripheral artery disease (PAD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are inflammatory diseases. These two entities often co-exist, but little is known about the prevalence of this phenomenon in patients with PAD. The objectives of this prospective cross-sectional study were to determine the prevalence of COPD in patients with PAD and to assess the frequency of COPD underdiagnosis in this group of patients.

Novel radiopharmaceuticals in endocrinology: a comprehensive review.

Endocrinology is the study of hormones and the endocrine glands that are responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the human body. Recently, there has been a surge of interest in the development of novel radiopharmaceuticals for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in endocrinology. This comprehensive review explores the latest advances in novel radiopharmaceuticals with applications in the diagnosis and treatment of different endocrine disorders, including thyroid, adrenal, and pituitary disorders, as well as neuroendocrine tumours.

Diagnostics and treatment of differentiated thyroid carcinoma in children - Guidelines of the Polish National Scientific Societies, 2024 Update.

The rapid progress made in recent years in thyroid cancer research has necessitated the systematic updating of current clinical recommendations. This update presents the evidence-based management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) and medullary thyroid carcinoma in children, including preoperative diagnostics, surgical management, radioiodine therapy in DTC treatment with L-thyroxine, disease monitoring, treatment of advanced disease, and finally, consequences of thyroid cancer treatment. Each recommendation is evaluated regarding its strength (Strength of Recommendation; SoR) and the quality of supporting data (QoE - Quality of Evidence).

The senolytic cocktail, dasatinib and quercetin, impacts the chromatin structure of both young and senescent vascular smooth muscle cells.

One promising strategy to alleviate aging symptoms is the treatment with senolytics that is compounds which selectively eliminate senescent cells. Some therapies aim to reduce symptoms of cellular senescence without senescent cell eradication (senomorphic activity). However, senotherapies raise many questions concerning the selectivity, safety and efficiency of senolitic drugs.

Enhancing structural health monitoring of fiber-reinforced polymer composites using piezoresistive TiCT MXene fibers.

The anisotropic behavior of fiber-reinforced polymer composites, coupled with their susceptibility to various failure modes, poses challenges for their structural health monitoring (SHM) during service life. To address this, non-destructive testing techniques have been employed, but they often suffer from drawbacks such as high costs and suboptimal resolutions. Moreover, routine inspections fail to disclose incidents or failures occurring between successive assessments.

Modulation of the Oxygenation State and Intracellular pH of Erythrocytes by Inositol-Trispyrophosphate Investigated by P NMR Study of 2,3-DPG.

The hypoxic microenvironment is crucial for tumour cell growth and invasiveness. Tumour tissue results from adaptation to reduced oxygen availability. Hypoxia first activates pro-angiogenic signals for alleviation.

Isobolographic interactions of cannabidiol and AM 1172 with cisplatin in human neuroblastoma and glioblastoma cell lines: an in vitro study.

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive brain cancer in humans with very poor prognosis and high mortality rate. Despite advances in treatment, glioblastoma almost always recurs and new therapeutic methods are urgently needed. This study aimed at assessing the cytotoxic and antiproliferative effects of AM 1172 and cannabidiol (two cannabinoid receptor ligands) in vitro, when used alone and in combination with cisplatin (a standard cytotoxic drug), in various human neuroblastoma (CHP-134, KELLY), human glioblastoma (U-87MG and T98G) and rat glioblastoma (C6) cell lines.

Is the potential for bioaccumulation of cannabinoids underestimated? Insights from biomimetic chromatography in cannabinoid exposure evaluation.

The use of cannabis-related products is currently experiencing extraordinary growth in popularity in the European and US markets. A wide variety of cannabis-related products have emerged, including oils, tinctures, edibles, topicals, cosmetics, and even beverages and sweets, offering the purported medical benefits without the psychoactive effects associated with Cannabis sativa. However, there is a significant gap in our understanding of bioaccumulation processes and their long-term effects, particularly as cannabinoids are highly lipophilic molecules.

Under Pressure in the Eriksen Flanker Task.

A classical observation in experimental psychology is a reduction in reaction time and response accuracy under time pressure (TP). This speed-accuracy tradeoff may be understood from the combined perspectives of affordance competition and urgency gating. This view implies that action programs compete with each other from stimulus onset until the final response.

Brain acid sphingomyelinase controls addiction-related behaviours in a sex-specific way.

Addiction is a chronic and severe mental disorder with high gender- and sex-specificity. However, the pathogenesis of this disorder is not fully elucidated, and no targeted pharmacotherapy is available. A growing body of evidence points out the potential involvement of the ceramide system in the pathophysiology of addiction.

Combating inflammation and oxidative stress: Exploring the cellular effects of Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica extract.

Lonicera caerulea var. kamtschatica (LCK), known as blue honeysuckle or haskap berry, is rich in bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, flavonoids, and anthocyanins, which are linked to various health benefits, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. The research specifically investigates the effects of an LCK extract that has been standardized to contain a minimum of 15% anthocyanins on inflammation and oxidative stress at the cellular level.

Exosomes and non-coding RNAs: Exploring their roles in human myocardial dysfunction.

Myocardial dysfunction, characterized by impaired cardiac muscle function, arises from diverse etiologies, including coronary artery disease, myocardial infarction, cardiomyopathies, hypertension, and valvular heart disease. Recent advancements have highlighted the roles of exosomes and non-coding RNAs in the pathophysiology of myocardial dysfunction. Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles released by cardiac and other cells that facilitate intercellular communication through their molecular cargo, including ncRNAs.

Impact of sediment resuspension on near-bottom mercury dynamics: Insights from a Baltic Sea experiment.

Marine sediments are major sources of legacy pollution, capable of releasing toxic mercury (Hg) into the water column when disturbed. This study evaluated Hg remobilization from surface sediments during resuspension events by examining sediment properties, Hg concentrations, and speciation. Research was conducted in the southern Baltic Sea, representing diverse environmental conditions and human impacts.

Rare cases of nitrite poisoning by accidental ingestion: Clinical and medico-legal aspects.

This paper reports three rare cases of accidental sodium nitrite poisoning, including one fatality, caused by the consumption of aspic purchased from a private vendor. Clinical symptoms included cyanosis, hypotension, and respiratory distress, with methemoglobin (MetHb) levels ranging from 5 % to 41.7 %.

Influence of the housing system on carcass composition and meat quality of laying hens after the laying period.

The purpose of the present study was to compare the effects of two systems of keeping Lohmann Brown laying hens in terms of carcass composition and meat quality assessment (chemical composition, physicochemical properties, texture, rheological properties, microstructure). The experimental material consisted of 30 carcasses (15 litter system - SS, 15 aviary system - SW) of Lohmann Brown laying hens after laying at 85 weeks of age. After slaughtering, the weight of the eviscerated carcass and the proportion of carcass elements, the weight of selected internal organs, acidity (pH), and electroconductivity (EC), color (L*, a*, b*), and the basic chemical composition of pectoral muscles and leg muscles were determined.

Optimizing nature-based solutions for urban flood risk mitigation: A multi-objective genetic algorithm approach in Gdańsk, Poland.

Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have emerged as a sustainable approach to managing flood risks by enhancing natural water retention and reducing surface runoff in urban areas. As climate change and rapid urbanization exacerbate flood hazards, optimizing the spatial deployment of NbS is crucial for improving urban resilience and mitigating flood impacts. This study presents a comprehensive optimization framework for the spatial allocation of fourteen different NbS types aimed at mitigating urban flood risks in Gdańsk, Poland.

Antinuclear Antibodies in Non-Rheumatic Diseases.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are critical immunological markers commonly associated with various connective tissue diseases (CTDs). However, these autoantibodies are also detectable in healthy individuals, patients with non-rheumatic autoimmune diseases, those with viral infections, and subjects using specific medications (such as procainamide, hydralazine, and minocycline) that can lead to drug-induced ANA elevation. The standard method for ANA detection is indirect immunofluorescence, a process that requires precision and thoroughness as it assesses both titer and fluorescence patterns.

Protocol for the preparation of zebrafish whole heart cell suspension for single-cell analyses.

Obtaining viable cell suspension that accurately represents the diversity of complex tissues is challenging due to the distinct characteristics of each cell type. Here, we present a protocol for preparing a single-cell suspension of the zebrafish embryonic whole heart, detailing steps for heart extraction, cell dissociation, quantification, and quality assessment. This suspension is compatible with downstream analysis on various single-cell platforms.

Protocol for the visualization of pRps6-positive cells in larval zebrafish brains using whole-mount immunofluorescence and light-sheet microscopy.

Due to their small size and transparency, larval zebrafish are a useful model for whole-brain imaging. Here, we present a protocol for the visualization of phosphorylated Rps6, a marker of mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) activity, in the zebrafish brains at 5 days post fertilization (dpf), using whole-mount immunofluorescence and light-sheet microscopy. We describe steps for sample preparation, storage, staining, and imaging.

Quantifying of thallium in Shilajit and its supplements to unveil the potential risk of consumption of this popular traditional medicine.

Shilajit, a natural substance used in traditional and modern medicine, has gained prominence as a vital component in dietary supplements. Concerns regarding its use in complementary medicine have arisen due to limited information regarding its composition. Considering thallium's well-known toxicity, this study employs flow - injection differential-pulse anodic stripping voltammetry to accurately quantify thallium in natural Shilajit and Shilajit-based commercial supplements from various regions.

Presence of EGF ligand restricts the binding ability of EgB4 nanobody to EGFR extracellular domain.

EgB4 is a nanobody that could facilitate the development of drug-nanobody conjugates or drug delivery in cancer treatment due to its specific binding ability to the EGFR transmembrane protein. More significantly, EgB4 does not hamper the EGFR function and associates with EGFR in both the presence and absence of an EGF ligand. However, the difference in EgB4-EGFR interaction with and without EGF ligand is not clear.